From: MSN NicknameEagle_wng (Original Message) Sent: 1/14/2008 6:32 AM
A friend sent the following article that was published in "I Magazine" in its issue dated Nov/Dec 2007, which gives an idea about the real devotion towards homeland, with all consequences of Russian imperialism sensed and felt by the courageous Chechen Nation:
Eagle
14-January-2007
Borzesh Nakh
(The Nation Of Wolves)
A hungry, lost wolf came across a mansion and saw a chained dog, the wolf asked: why are you chained? That’s the way it is, dog answered, I’m fed, taken care of and secured. Dazed, the wolf turned to the dog and said: I prefer to be free!! And he walked away. “That’s the way with us Chechens, even if it’s difficult, we are very satisfied with our lives…praise to God. If only for a day or a year, it is better die cockerel than a chicken”, Baysangur Chechen tribal chief.
The Chechens are known amongst themselves as Nokhchi, are the native inhabitants of their ancient lands found in the eastern part of the North Caucasus region. Archeological evidence proves their existence in their land for over 5,000 years. Traditionally, Chechens are governed by Nokhchalla, the Chechen code of behavior and etiquette. Among a range of features, Nokhchalla primarily demands the everlasting loyalty and love to ‘Daymokh’ fatherland and its defense to the last. The bond between the Chechen and his land, is a sacred union derived from Nokhchalla’s epitome; “he who is born from Daymokh’s soil, carries the honor of defending it with his head high, and his shalt (dagger) to his side”, commencing from this philosophy the Chechen psych is shaped, choosing the wolf as their symbol to represent their love for freedom. I Magazine meet with Faroza Shishani, narrating an outstanding account on her experience as a mother of two martyrs.
In the suburbs of Amman a considerable community of Chechens has been living in town of Sweileh after being deported from their homeland in the early 1900’s. In one of the street ally’s, I walk towards the home of Faroza, the mother of Mohamad and Womar K. Chechen martyrs who died in September 2000, during a battle against the Russians. With streaking hazel eyes and a deep glare, Faroza an elder in her early sixties, welcomes me into her home, I am seated in a room filled with old hanged daggers, pictures of groups of men with their weapons dressed in the national Chechen costume, and on the other side of the room, a large picture of two young men fully armed, standing on a cliff of a mountain holding the Chechen flag.
Marsho!! (Freedom) Faroza exclaim with a content smile, “For 300 years we Chechens fought and revolted against Russia, our tiny nation has fought for 300 years! My grandfather, my great grandfather his father fought and my two sons fought…all for the freedom of this, pointing at her heart. My two sons only followed what their soul and heart was calling for, although they were born and raised here, their mind was somewhere in the memory of their father’s land …you see, I was raised to raise my children to speak and not to forget their mother tongue, the memory of our ancestral land is so vivid in our heads it almost seems that we never left. When the war broke out in 1994, it was no surprise for us, we Chechens revolted against domination every 50 years; in 1944, we revolted against Stalin, resulting in the deportation of the whole of our nation into Siberia. This war did not “just” start…it is a continuation of a long conflict.
When my two boys were just small children, I had a dream that I was catching huge beautiful fish, but the fish soon slipped out of my hand and jumped back into the river, I wok e up in despair, knowing that both my boys will not live long, never knowing what could be the reason, a sense of sorrow always accompanied me as I watched my children grow up,. As soon as the war broke in “94, it hit me…an instinct ran into me, knowing that if my sons went they will never come back, and it was true…they never did”. Mohammad and Womar joined the freedom fighters and fought chiefly for their land and the oath of their forefathers. In September 2000, Mohamad 23 was shot and killed in combat and a few months later his brother Womar 27 followed. “They were life loving people, talented musicians and were loved by everyone. I will not lie to you, I grieve every second of my day, their image does not part my sight, however, this is our reality and how we shaped our history…as free people. I remember when they told me they were off to war, pain shot through my heart wishing to pull them back, but how can I break the foremost teaching of Nokhchalla in front of them, I only followed my ancestral way.”
As I gazed into their picture, I saw purity and innocence in their eyes, and wondered how such youthful souls, carried on their shoulder such a deep mission, what sort of sacred union did they feel towards their homeland to actually make them willfully give up their life? The intensity of what might have been a memory, for a moment was brought to life in a vibrant image, as a little boy runs into Faroza’s arms looking at me in the same manner seen on the picture. “She knew your uncle Mohamad” Faroza said, the little boy looked at me and shyly smiled away.
Today, Faroza, thousands of like mother’s, and the whole world are aware that the destructive desolate war brought on Chechnya was purely a geo-political game orchestrated by the “the war against terrorism” drive, on the other hand, it is interesting to point out who and where is the terrorist in Chechnya, when over 200 thousand have been killed of which most are civilians, and over 300 thousand children orphaned. Among the various facts it is worthy to conclude that whatever has happened in the Chechen war, it will never change the intention of thousands of young men like Mohamad and Womar towards their homeland…it will forever be intact.
*Names have been changed upon the request of the narrator.
